Transfer season can be a pretty lonely time when your potential suitors would rather look elsewhere, and when your current employers appear keen to cash in. Just ask a five-time Serie A champion turned down by West Ham United, for instance.
But as ripostes go, you will struggle to find one as emphatic and as immediate as the one delivered via Daniele Rugani on Tuesday night.
While in pursuit of reinforcements at both ends of the pitch, Juventus seem to be using their pursuit of Jadon Sancho and Nayef Aguerd as a way of getting a number of unwanted or overpaid players off the wage bill.
Manchester United have reportedly been offered Dusan Vlahovic, Douglas Luiz and Timothy Weah as part of any Sancho deal.
But if Juventus planned to trade Rugani for Aguerd, it quickly became apparent that this was not an arrangement West Ham United had much admiration for.
Hammers News understands that West Ham have no interest in Rugani. This summer is one for younger, more long-term reinforcements. Rugani will be 31 by the end of the month.
But, on a day in which 41-year-old Jose Fonte signed a contract extension with Casa Pia, another centre-back grabbed the chance to prove that concerns over his age have been massively overstated.
Daniele Rugani produces Real Madrid masterclass as West Ham snub Juventus ace
The man hogging the headlines, after Real Madrid secured a Club World Cup quarter-final clash with Borussia Dortmund, was none other than Gonzalo Garcia.
With Kylian Mbappe only now returning after his brief summer break, 21-year-old Garcia has emerged as the tournament’s breakout sensation. After scoring against Al Hilal and Red Bull Salzburg, Juventus became the latest victims of the baby-faced Real Madrid frontman in Miami.
An eventual 1-0 scoreline would have looked a lot more lopsided, however, it not for the excellent Michele di Gregorio in the Juventus goal. Though the glovesman had plenty of help, Rugani rolling back the years and reminding his critics that an Italy international with five Scudettos and nearly 150 Bianconeri appearances should not be written off so readily.
“[I am] always ready to fight for this badge! Wearing this shirt will always be so special to me that I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” Rugani said following Juve’s valiant defeat, a bullish post-match warning to those who felt he had run out of time in Turin.
“Now, it’s time to recharge and come back stronger, because Juventus must return to the place it deserves.”
Juventus fans want Rugani to stay amid Nayef Aguerd rumours
Whether Rugani will be part of that rebuild – Juve finished fourth last term, their most recent Serie A title coming in 2020 – remains to be seen. But the same Juventus fans taking issue with Rugani’s potential departure are certainly not wasting an opportunity to remind the Bianconeri bosses what the cult hero is capable of.
“Got to keep this guy,” one supporter writes on X after watching Rugani complete 10 clearances and 95 per cent of his passes up against Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and a refreshed, returning Mbappe.
“Keep, and sell [Lloyd] Kelly or [Federico] Gatti.”
“Can we put some respect on his name? What a first half from Rugani!”
“First Vinicius, then Mbappe… Whoever came his way met a brick wall and found no way through. Appreciate you Daniele Rugani.”
“I said that one of biggest mistakes of last season was pushing him away,” another adds, questioning the decision to loan Rugani to Ajax while bringing in former Newcastle benchwarmer Kelly for an eye-watering £14.5 million.
“Never made any fuss despite being fifth choice and had become one of the leaders in the locker rooms.”
“No one will say it but Daniele Rugani actually played an excellent match. The dude has been around for years, took a salary cut to stay here, and makes absolutely no noise [while] sitting on the bench. Why are we shopping him around but giving Gatti, who is much worse, a renewal for five years?”
“Hopefully they put on Mbappe because honestly Rugani is getting bored!” one supporter said with a tongue-in-cheek laugh, Real’s superstar number nine eventually entering the fray and getting very little out of the Juventus’ veteran stopper either.
“His superiority is becoming quite embarrassing.”
West Ham are not going to change their stance on Rugani after just 90 minutes of Club World Cup action, though. And maybe that’s a good thing.
A club with a consistent, coherent transfer policy revolving around young, hungry talent yet to hit their peak. A change of tack has been a long time coming.
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